


Delights

by Solkatt2410



Category: Naruto
Genre: Artist Naruto, Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, POV Alternating, Rating May Change, Slow Romance, deafness, student sasuke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-04 05:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15834585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solkatt2410/pseuds/Solkatt2410
Summary: Sasuke becomes the unwitting model of choice to Naruto's latest installation of paintings, and, well, he feels he is allowed to be a bit upset. Naruto tries to apologize and maybe flirts shamelessly in the process.





	1. Pearl Delights Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Since they are so short, I'll post a chapter a day until I start uni on Monday :)

Naruto pushed the door to café Pearl Delights open and shifted his bag from his back to his hip to protect it from getting hit, the weight of it familiar and comforting. He came here whenever he was missing inspiration to watch the people. It always kick-started his imagination.

He waved to the personnel who recognized him and waved back, then set up at his usual table in a corner of the busy room. He bought a hot chocolate with a grin at the waitress who laughed at the silly flirting he did with her. He sat down and took small sips of the sweet goodness, just sitting there for a while to relax, then got his coal out and started sketching anything that came to his mind.

* * *

Sasuke signed a quick ‘thank you’ to the waitress who smiled back and nodded, mouthing her reply very clearly as she offered the receipt, which he shook his head to. She nodded and tossed it as he picked his tray up and made his way to an empty table. He sat down and ate his sandwich, flipping through his phone for his planner and scanning through it before reading the emails he had been sent. He put the tray away when he was done, then got his books out and opened them on the relevant chapters, opening his laptop and starting it up. He plugged in his modified earphones and turned the bass up all the way, nodding a little in satisfaction when he felt the vibrating pulse, then began to answer the sheet of questions he had been given.

* * *

Naruto looked at the garden he had started on and sighed. He was losing inspiration, again. Looking up, he stretched then looked around, hoping to find anything to inspire him. His eyes settled immediately on the young man sitting a few tables over and studying intensely, focused completely on his book.

He could easily picture the man sitting on a marble bench in the flowering garden of a mansion, reading an old book with an illuminated manuscript, wearing grey hoses, a white shirt and a long tunic in a sandy shade of beige, trimmed in black. 

The piece of charcoal he was using snapped and Naruto cursed quietly, picking it up before he accidentally smudged something. Then he did a double take and laughed softly at the sight of his papers. He had a messy pile on the table next to him and was curled up in the chair with yet another sketch of the same scene in his head. He had not realized he had started and he sighed softly, content, and put half of the broken charcoal away before he continued sketching.

* * *

Sasuke straightened from his hunched over position with a grimace and rolled his neck and shoulders, alleviating some of the assembled tension. He was finally done with his assigned questions and had sent the document in for evaluation by Professor Hamada. After all, it was tricky to hold an oral presentation without speaking, although he had received full marks for the written part of the assignment.

Sighing, Sasuke shut his computer off and put away his earphones, packing up his books and papers. Glancing around, he nodded slightly when the table looked orderly again and he had not forgotten anything, then he left, oblivious to the sky blue eyes that followed him out.

* * *

Naruto took the best of the sketches he had created at the café earlier and pinned them to his wall. It had indeed turned into a flowering garden with a marble bench behind a mansion. He had added details and larger structures successively, a tree there, another flower here, an arching trellis over the path, and a birdbath. It would be beautiful once he got it onto an aisle and actually painted it.

The question was if he could do the handsome man that had unknowingly modelled for him justice.


	2. Painting, working

“NARUTO!”

The blond in question yelped, dropping the pitcher back into the sink and spilling water all over his paint-splattered t-shirt.

“WHAT?” he yelled back, muttering curses as pulled the soaked t-shirt off. He used it to dry off as best as he could, sighing dejectedly at the mess of water on his floor.

“Come here!”

“FINE!” he hollered back, tossing a towel at the water on the floor before scrambling to obey.

He found Sakura standing before his paintings and frowned at her.

“What is it?” he asked, crossing his arms, and Sakura waved her hand at him and pointed at the painting on his aisle with the other.

“Who is this? He’s crazy hot!” she said, grinning, and Naruto eyed her with disbelief.

“What?”

“Oh come on, I like women, I’m not blind!” Sakura growled at him and Naruto quickly side-stepped a blindly thrown but hard punch aimed at his shoulder. “Anyhow, this is amazing! It’s really good, Naruto! Have you shown Sai yet?”

“No.” Naruto replied, studying the painting critically. “I’m not finished.”

_“Come_ _on_. And go put a t-shirt on, you training freak, before I reconsider my orientation.” Sakura said and Naruto flushed with embarrassment.

“Shut up, you pink-haired hag.” he growled over his shoulder as he stalked into his bedroom, grumbling under his breath while he found a new t-shirt splattered with paint. “Happy?”

“Yup. Now, who is he?” Sakura asked, motioning at the painting, as she sprawled out over his couch. Naruto sighed and perched on the armrest, eyeing his latest painting of the dark-haired man he usually saw at Pearl Delights café.

“I have no idea. I haven’t spoken to him.”

“Seriously?” Sakura asked, looking up at him, and Naruto nodded. “You probably should.”

“I know.” Naruto sighed again. They were silent for a while, then Sakura asked curiously,

“What happened to your t-shirt by the way?”

“Shit! My floor!”


	3. Vernissage

Sasuke was a bit surprised to see the amount of people milling outside and inside Pearl Delights, the café he had made his study center the past months, and cautiously slowed his steps. He found a sign on the street outside the café’s sitting area that read ‘Open Vernissage – Reader’s Journey, by Naruto Uzumaki – All welcome’. Curious, because he had never heard nor seen before that the café offered artists a chance to display their art, he carefully made his way inside. The walls were covered with colorful paintings, but Sasuke immediately stepped back and hid behind a plant to breathe, calming his pounding heart and closing his eyes briefly. 

All the paintings were of him, and it was impossible to deny. 

He tugged his hood up quickly and hid his tumbling bangs the best he could before he took another deep breath and started to follow the slowly moving stream of people that were looking at the paintings. He apparently  _ needed _ to see this. The visitors’ voices created a curious buzz in the air, laced with excitement, joy and awe, and he relaxed a little when he realized no one was looking at him or  _ for _ him, for that matter.

It was a strangely messy collection that began with a small painting of a young man immersed completely in his reading in a café, the table an island of peace and sharp detail as people moved in blurry shapes around him. It was followed by a much larger painting of the same scene, but in the fully flowering garden of a mansion that was more castle than mansion. The young man was wearing clothes more typical for a few centuries back, and sitting on a marble bench, his back against a wall of sweet peas; the book was an illuminated manuscript. It was done using oil colors, ranging from softest pastels to sharp black and bloody red, and with immense care.

The next picture showed the young man looking up, head turned a little to the side; Sasuke recognized it as one of the moments when he was staring out the window, and the book was lying open in his lap. Flowers, butterflies and golden light was spilling over the young man’s hands, tendrils of it reaching for his arms. The next two paintings were small again and showed the magical light reaching to envelop the very surprised, wide-eyed man and the next winking them both out of existence, the book tumbling down as the man disappeared and the light shrinking rapidly in an amazing display of action and light manipulation.

Sasuke could not help but recognize the talent of the artist, despite the tense discomfort in the pit of his stomach. He had not realized he had been under such focused watch. 

The man re-appeared in the next painting, in the same clothes, on the bench in a blossoming park with many wooden bridges crossing a little river, skyscrapers reaching for the clouds above the trees. Then the man ventured out of the park that changed into a torn apart landscape that looked post-apocalyptic. Night fell and despite the devastation around the man, the night sky he looked up at was immense and beautiful, arching above him and strewn with stars. Several very small paintings made a continuous series of footsteps that wandered through red dirt, black sand, and grey ash until they reached the sea. Then there the man was, looking up at the sky over water as pure as ever, shimmering in bright blues and soft with white foam and whiter clouds.

The last painting was the largest and showed the man’s shed clothes floating on the water and the fading shape of him flying towards the sky, immense white wings beating through the air, a flurry of feathers left behind slowly settling on top of the waves.

Then they had come full circle around the room and were back at the start, the painting of the man reading his book in a bustling café before them. He left as soon as he was able now that he had seen it all.


	4. First meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearly I am not good at keeping track of time, have 2 chapters.

Sasuke waited for a few days to let the commotion settle and studied in the library instead, then he went back to Pearl Delights. Using the paintings as a reference, he quickly worked out where the artist must have been seated, then took a different table in an out of the way corner instead. He held vigil over the door and followed the people coming inside with his eyes until he determined they were not going to the artist’s table. He straightened slightly when a tall blond man with a red jacket and black jeans entered, a grey beanie pulled down over unruly hair. He was undeniably attractive with well-defined muscle and kind eyes, and Sasuke watched as he stopped at the right table, quickly revising his plans.

Perfect.

* * *

Naruto pulled out a chair at his usual table with his sketch book in hand and smiled at the paintings hanging on the walls. The informal vernissage – not advertised beyond the single sign outside the café that first day – had been an amazing success and he had high hopes for the actual exhibition at the gallery, for once curious about what the critics would have to say.

He left his bag at the table and walked over to buy his standard chocolate, smiling all the while. He had automatically glanced over at the table the young man usually used to study but had not seen him there. In no sense discouraged, he brought his chocolate back to his table and sat down.

There was a folded paper lying in front of him and he unfolded it curiously.

‘Ask before you plaster someone’s face all over the walls, you absolute idiot. And don’t dare come here. I’m not talking to you.’

“What the fuck?” he whispered, frowning, and looked around the café again. His gaze finally landed on the angry dark eyes of his model and he felt a sharp stab of guilt. “Oops.”

Waving one of the waitresses over, he wrote a quick reply and gave it to her, nodding to the man in the corner as he explained what he wanted and thanked her thoroughly, giving her a tip as thanks.

He watched the dark-haired man as he got the message and quickly scanned it before looking back up and nodding sharply, once. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he opened his phone and logged onto the messaging service he had given the man his username to. He had a new friend request and thought with a little snort that the man probably did not want to be his friend at the moment.

_ DarkTomato: Hi! I would like to add you as a friend! _

_ DarkTomato: Automatic shit. _

_ SunshineOrange: I figured. I apologize, you’re absolutely right; I should’ve asked. I can compensate you for it, though. _

Naruto looked up as he hit send and watched the man frown down at his phone for a long time before he typed a reply.

_ DarkTomato: What sort of compensation? _

_ SunshineOrange: Monetary, firstly. And my apologies. _

_ DarkTomato: It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission, hm? I think not. I have no use for money. _

“What?” Naruto breathed, confused, and jumped a little when his phone vibrated in his hand with a new message almost instantly.

_ DarkTomato: Tell me why. _

_ SunshineOrange: Why what? _

_ DarkTomato: Are you an actual moron? Why you choose me as a model. _

Naruto scowled at the man and got a mocking little smirk in return.

_ SunshineOrange: Because you inspired me. I come here when I need new things, and you were certainly new, back then. _

_ DarkTomato: OK.  _

_ SunshineOrange: What’s your name? _

_ DarkTomato: Sasuke. _

_ SunshineOrange: Hi, Sasuke. I’m Naruto, a full-time artist. I’m 22 years old, my hobby is to watch people (as you noticed) and I like ramen. _

_ DarkTomato: I didn’t ask. _

Naruto threw a quick glance at the man and saw a small, amused something on his lips that made him grin.

_ SunshineOrange: I’m volunteering information to put you at a little more ease, and because I feel guilty as hell, even though you were right about that with asking permission. Sorry, again. Let me buy you something from the café? _

_ DarkTomato: Do you work out? Sure. _

_ SunshineOrange: Yup. Whenever I’m not painting or here. I like to keep fit. Do you? And what would you like? _

_ DarkTomato: A bit of material arts. Plain black coffee is fine. _

_ SunshineOrange: Nice. Are you good at it?  _

_ SunshineOrange: Are you sure? I don’t mind if you order something fancy, I’d say I owe you. _

_ DarkTomato: Coffee. Black. _

_ DarkTomato: Yes, I’m good at it. I read body language very well. _

_ SunshineOrange: Alright, alright. Do you compete? _

_ DarkTomato: Sometimes. _

_ SunshineOrange: Okay. Do you study a lot? _

_ DarkTomato: I suppose.  _

Naruto pocketed his phone and rose, walking over to the counter and buying a cup of coffee and a plate with an assortment of biscuits. He put them down on Sasuke’s table with a smile at the wary man who just looked up to watch him, earphones plugged into the laptop his hands were hovering above, then went back to his seat.

_ SunshineOrange: You can just give me the cookies you don’t want. I eat everything. _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ SunshineOrange: So! What do you like for food? _

_ DarkTomato: Tomatoes. _

_ SunshineOrange: Only tomatoes? Like, not any specific dish you enjoy, or even another ingredient? _

_ SunshineOrange: In addition to ramen, I’m partial to chocolate in any shape and dishes with rosemary. I prefer chicken over red meat, and rice over pasta. _

_ DarkTomato: No, not really. I like tomatoes, the rest is food. It’s edible and sometimes really good, but I don’t have any preferences as such. _

_ SunshineOrange: You’re really weird. _

_ DarkTomato: Thank you for noticing. _

“And kinda an asshole as well. Bastard.” Naruto muttered, glaring at the sarcastic reply.

_ DarkTomato: I study microbiology right now, if you were curious. _

“Huh. Maybe not that much of a prick, after all.”

_ SunshineOrange: I am. Do you like it? _

_ DarkTomato: Yes. It is interesting and rewarding. _

_ SunshineOrange: Rewarding? _

_ DarkTomato: It makes sense. _

_ DarkTomato: Your paintings are very nice. _

_ SunshineOrange: Okay.  _

Naruto blushed when the other message from Sasuke popped up on his screen just as he sent his reply, then he grinned.

_ SunshineOrange: Really? Wait, you don’t actually mind being in the paintings, you’re just pissed I didn’t ask you! Right? _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ SunshineOrange: What? _

_ DarkTomato: Take it as a yes. _

_ SunshineOrange: Oh, okay. Anyway, thanks! I really tried to do my best with them, it would have been unfair to you to do a sloppy job. _

_ DarkTomato: Unfair? _

"Gotcha."

_ SunshineOrange: Yeah, I mean, you are very handsome. It would have been rude, at least I think so, to not try to portray that. _

_ DarkTomato: Are you flirting? _

_ SunshineOrange: Do you want me to be flirting? I have lots of pick-up lines! _

_ DarkTomato: Oh God. Don’t. _

_ SunshineOrange: Did you fall down? _

_ SunshineOrange: Because you look like an angel. _

_ SunshineOrange: Did the sky misplace its stars? I just found them in your eyes. _

_ SunshineOrange: I think I need sunglasses! You’re dazzling! _

_ SunshineOrange: Roses are red, violets are blue; I never knew perfection ’til I met you.  _

_ SunshineOrange: If I were a cat, I’d spend all nine lives with you.  _

_ SunshineOrange: Do you have a band aid? I hurt myself falling for you. _

_ SunshineOrange: Hey, was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world? _

_ SunshineOrange: I have a bunch of keys, but I’m missing the one to your heart. _

_ DarkTomato: Please spare me _

Naruto grinned down at his phone, covertly glancing over at Sasuke to see the man shaking with barely suppressed laughter, eyes crinkled and an amused grin stretching his lips, and warmth fluttered in his chest.

_ SunshineOrange: Life without you would be like a broken pencil, pointless. _

_ SunshineOrange: Is there a rainbow today? I just found the treasure I’ve been searching for! _

_ SunshineOrange: I’m no photographer, but I can picture us together. _

_ SunshineOrange: You’re like chocolate; sweetly addictive! _

_ SunshineOrange: If you were a laser gun you would be set on stunning. _

_ SunshineOrange: If you stood in front of a mirror and held up 11 gorgeous roses, you would see a dozen of the most beautiful things in the world. _

_ SunshineOrange: I’ll cook you dinner if you cook me breakfast. _

_ SunshineOrange: Can I take you to dinner? _

_ DarkTomato: Stop. Seriously. Or I’ll sue you for homicide by stupidity induced laughter. _

_ SunshineOrange: We wouldn’t want that, now would we? _

_ DarkTomato: How did you manage to waste a full hour of my time with questions and stupid lines? _

_ SunshineOrange: I’m a master at procrastinating. _

_ SunshineOrange: I hate having to find new things to paint. _

_ DarkTomato: Really? _

_ SunshineOrange: You’re excluded. _

_ SunshineOrange: Oh! Right, can I keep painting you? _

Naruto bit his lip, hopeful. Hey, he had asked this time!

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ SunshineOrange: Yes? That’s a yes, right? You said it was a yes! _

_ DarkTomato: Idiot. Yes. Happy? _

_ SunshineOrange: If you were closer I would be kissing you. _

_ DarkTomato: You’re a moron. What were you thinking of painting? _

_ SunshineOrange: Probably something like feudal Japan and you. _

_ DarkTomato: Too many options. _

_ DarkTomato: I think I will be cross if you paint me like a geisha. _

_ DarkTomato: Don’t dare. _

Naruto smirked down at his phone with unholy glee. It was nothing like what he had in mind, but he would, just to mess with Sasuke, and never show it to anyone else.

_ SunshineOrange: Thanks for the tips! _

_ DarkTomato: Sigh. _

_ SunshineOrange: Wanna come over and see my sketches? _

_ DarkTomato: Not now, thanks. _

_ SunshineOrange: Offer stands indefinitely. _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. I need to leave for class now that I’ve spoken with you. _

_ SunshineOrange: Now that you’ve texted with me, you mean. _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ DarkTomato: Bye. _

_ SunshineOrange: By-- _

_ DarkTomato has logged off. _

“-e. Okay.” Naruto murmured, deleting his unfinished message and looking up to watch Sasuke pack his bag. The dark-haired man looked up and met his gaze, slinging his backpack on and picking up the plate of cookies.

* * *

Sasuke made his way to the table Naruto was seated at, choosing his way carefully as the café had filled up while they were talking. Naruto twisted in his seat, body language open and welcoming, and Sasuke could not help the small smile as he gave him a nod and set the plate down, moving before Naruto could open his mouth. The blond had looked surprised and Sasuke watched him study the cookies from just outside the door, smirking a little when the blond grinned and made a little victory gesture.

Apparently not just handsome and talented, he was  _ smart _ as well.

Today was going to be a long day until he got home and could get back on his computer.


	5. Chat & Sketches

_ SunshineOrange: You like the lime bars, the rectangular ones with oatmeal bottoms and lime frosting, right? See? You have things you like! _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ SunshineOrange: Whoever taught you to say that shouldn’t be around kids. _

_ DarkTomato: Hn. _

_ SunshineOrange: Really? _

_ SunshineOrange: Don’t dare. _

_ DarkTomato: I also like coffee. _

_ SunshineOrange: That I got. Black coffee, which in my opinion isn’t drinkable at all. _

_ DarkTomato: What are you doing? _

_ SunshineOrange: Right now? Writing to you. _

_ SunshineOrange: I was sketching. _

_ DarkTomato: Can you show me? _

_ SunshineOrange is sending a file. Accept download? _

Sasuke opened the picture, swallowed his tea wrong and quickly put the mug down, covering his mouth and coughing until he could laugh at Naruto who was making a silly face lying on his back on the floor with sketches spread out around him.

_ DarkTomato: You look stupid. _

_ SunshineOrange: Success! _

_ SunshineOrange is sending a file. Accept download? _

Curious, Sasuke opened the file, expecting another selfie, and was surprised to see a sketch of a barefoot woman with butterfly wings in an airy dress of something like silk. It was rough, made with black charcoal, but held an astonishing amount of detail all the same.

_ DarkTomato: Beautiful. _

_ SunshineOrange: Thanks. Want another? _

_ DarkTomato: Please. _

_ SunshineOrange is sending a file. Accept download? _

Sasuke opened the picture and studied the image of a man with bird wings instead of arms, the wings fully open in the preparation of the next downward stroke, his back towards the sun, expression euphoric.

_ SunshineOrange is sending a file. Accept all downloads from SunshineOrange? _

Sasuke checked the option and opened the picture just as another popped up and started to download. It was the rough sketch of him standing underneath the starry sky, the one Naruto had already painted. The other was of a range of mountains towering over a wide field, all gray scale.

He opened the third file that had been sent while he was looking at the first two, and made a soft humming noise of amusement when he was met with an underwater landscape. It was a gigantic coral reef with cave like houses integrated into the chalky walls, what looked like an ancient palace with pillars and paved roads with shoals of fish swimming around. Of course, there were mermaids and mermen everywhere.

_ DarkTomato: Did you work with that a lot? _

_ SunshineOrange: Which one? _

_ DarkTomato: The merfolk reef. _

_ SunshineOrange: Ooooohh, I like that name! _

_ SunshineOrange: Not really. I’m thinking of painting it, but I haven’t been able to imagine colors I like. _

_ DarkTomato: If you make the water in shades of blue to green and the corals brightly colored and the merfolk scales in gradients, whatever you like, I will buy it in a heartbeat. _

_ SunshineOrange: …Really? _

_ DarkTomato: If I’m not offending you, that is. _

_ SunshineOrange: What? No. _

_ SunshineOrange: I paint stuff for my friends all the time, it’s fun, like a challenge.  _

_ SunshineOrange: I just wasn’t expecting to get a request from you. _

_ DarkTomato: I like blue. _

_ SunshineOrange: Haha, okay. I’ll do my best. _

_ SunshineOrange: You sneaky bastard! You’re still telling me things you like! _

_ DarkTomato: Moron. _

_ SunshineOrange: Hey! _

_ DarkTomato: I have to go to sleep, I have classes tomorrow morning. _

_ SunshineOrange: When? I’m an early bird. _

_ DarkTomato: At eight, until five-thirty. _

_ SunshineOrange: That’s long. _

_ DarkTomato: About eight hours, not too bad. _

_ SunshineOrange: I’d be climbing the walls. _

_ DarkTomato: I’m grateful I do not have to endure your presence then. _

_ SunshineOrange: Meanie. Let me take you out to dinner then? Maybe not tomorrow if you have a long day, but whenever you want. _

_ DarkTomato: No. I’ll see you around. _

_ SunshineOrange: Okay. _

_ DarkTomato has logged off. _

_ DarkTomato is online. _

_ DarkTomato: Sleep well, Naruto. _

_ DarkTomato has logged off. _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading, ta!


End file.
